Newcastle Knights v New Zealand Warriors
Hunter Stadium
Saturday 12:30am EST
In what shapes up as one of the more intriguing games of the opening round, the Newcastle Knights and New Zealand Warriors will be looking to kick off their campaigns on the right note following inconsistent 2014 campaigns.
Newcastle will be keen to continue building Hunter Stadium as a fortress under new and improved coach Rick Stone, as they head into the game with a five-game winning streak at home, including a 28-22 win in Round 23, 2014 over their opponents this weekend.
The flair of Tyrone Roberts and Jarrod Mullen in the halves along with a permanent return to fullback for captain Kurt Gidley is sure to excite plenty of Novocastrians, however reigning Golden Boot recipient and Warriors halfback Shaun Johnson will certainly be the man to watch.
Johnson, after his starring role in New Zealand's victorious Four Nations campaign, has plenty of new puzzle pieces to work with thanks to the additions of Ryan Hoffman and Bodene Thompson to the Warriors' back row – a huge boost towards the club's fortunes.
Joining Hoffman and Thompson in their Warriors debut will be Auckland Nines star Solomone Kata, Sam Lisone and Albert Vete. Chad Townsend will also start at five-eighth with Thomas Leuluai pencilled in for hooker and NRL All Star Nathan Friend coming off the bench. Suaia Matagi is 18th man.
Surprisingly, Australian international Sione Mata'utia was named 18th man with coach Stone preferring Joey Leilua in the centres. Gidley's move to fullback also sees Tyler Randell line up for his second NRL appearance from the bench to help hooker Adam Clydsdale. James McManus will also celebrate his 150th NRL game while fellow winger Akuila Uate is just a hattrick away from racking up 100 tries for the Knights.
Watch out Knights: Solomone Kata blasted onto the scene at the Auckland Nines in a huge way. An absolute star for the Warriors in their run to the quarter finals, the young centre's performances in Auckland should have Dane Gagai second-guessing himself considering Kata scored four tries and earned a spot in the Team of the Tournament.
Watch out Warriors: Five-eighth Mullen will start the season fighting fit and raring to go unlike this time 12 months ago. His kicking game should be a highlight of this contest and something the Warriors backline of Kata, Tuimoala Lolohea, Manu Vatuvei and Konrad Hurrell should be wary of. In 16 games last season, Mullen kicked the pill 7,360 metres downfield (460 metres per game) and he didn't struggle to find open space either.
Key Match-Up: Beau Scott vs. Ryan Hoffman – While they may be friends and back row teammates on the representative scene, away from the glitz and glamour of State of Origin a scintillating battle between Ryan Hoffman and Beau Scott beckons. The grunt of Scott – who averaged 74.4 metres and 25 tackles last year – up against the hard working Hoffman – 23.3 tackles and 109.1 metres per game for Melbourne in 2014 – may prove to be one of the game's highlights. Their respective line break and offload abilities will be sure fire hits too.
The History: Played 32; Knights 16, Warriors 15, Draw 1. The Knights haven't fared all that well against the Warriors in recent times having only won four times in their past 16 appearances against their upcoming opponents. They were successful in their most recent meeting when they overcame their counterparts 28-22 in Round 23 last season, thanks to a Mata'utia hattrick.
What are the Odds: Plenty of punters are going for the Knights here with nearly double the amount of money placed on them. But the Warriors are the pick for the line of -1.5.
Match Officials: Referee – Ashley Klein; Assistant Referee – Chris Butler; Sideline Officials – Rick McFarlane and Phil Henderson; Video Referees – Steve Clark and Steve Folkes.
The Way We See It: Both teams have had impressive pre-seasons including quarter final berths at the Nines, but the home advantage – considering their current streak at Hunter Stadium – should be enough for Newcastle to start their season off with a bang. Knights by 6 points.
***Sleepy's Official Play - Knights -2.5
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Titans v Wests Tigers
Cbus Super Stadium
Saturday 3:00am EST
Hope is a powerful emotion and fans of both of these teams will feel a whole lot better about their team if they can somehow, someway eke out a win in Round 1 and remove themselves from the bottom half of the ladder for at least the first week of the season.
The Titans have issued a rallying cry throughout the Gold Coast community having stumbled from one crisis to the next over the course of the pre-season while new Wests Tigers coach Jason Taylor will unveil a halves/fullback combination with an average age of less than 21 and with just 60 NRL games to their credit.
There is a distinct feeling of change sweeping through both of these clubs and a win first up would give some certainty that things are heading in the right direction.
The Titans' squad for Round 1 has been decimated by the drugs allegations that rocked sport in Queensland with a host of new faces called in to replace the likes of Greg Bird, Dave Taylor and Beau Falloon.
Broncos recruit Josh Hoffman has been named in the centres but will rotate with fullback William Zillman during the game and Kierran Moseley, Lachlan Burr and Agnatius Paasi will all double their career tally of NRL games when they debut for the Titans.
With Aaron Woods and Keith Galloway up front and Martin Taupau ready to rip in from the bench, the Tigers boast a noticeable size advantage although their back row stocks are not quite as healthy.
Curtis Sironen appears primed for a big year on the left edge, ever-reliable Dene Halatau will lock the scrum while the battle for the right edge forward spot has been won – for now at least – by Sauaso Sue.
There's very little support for either of these two teams in premiership betting but for a week at least, the winner of this one will feel on top of the world.
Watch out Titans: The dynamic duo of Luke Brooks and James Tedesco that terrorised the Titans when these teams met on a sultry Sunday in Round 2 last season has found a new, equally young partner in crime in five-eighth Mitchell Moses. In his rookie season last year Moses made 10 appearances, predominantly at fullback, but with both he and Brooks locked in at the Tigers for the next three seasons Jason Taylor will unveil a halves combination he will be banking on working with for many years to come. Brooks and Tedesco exhibited a wonderful understanding in limited opportunities last season and the addition of Moses makes their 'spine' one of the most exciting in the competition.
Watch out Wests Tigers: Over the course of this off-season the Titans have been dragged to the corner, kicked to the kerb, lifted up by the collar and then roughed up a little more, and for the most part it was of their own doing. But out of the depths of despair hope sometimes springs eternal and the Gold Coast community have vowed to rally behind their team when the season kicks off on Saturday evening. There will be six Titans making their debuts for the club, a new coach in Neil Henry looking to lay down a new foundation and a skipper in Nate Myles who will demand 80 minutes of effort from his 16 teammates. It's arguably the most important game in the club's history since their 2010 Preliminary Final loss to the Roosters so the Tigers need to be ready for the unexpected.
Key Match-Up: They won't play directly opposite each other but in right centres James Roberts (Titans) and Tim Simona (Tigers) you have two electrifying talents capable of turning a match with a single piece of brilliance. Teammates have spoken glowingly of Roberts' dedication in pre-season training and half Daniel Mortimer has vowed to provide him with more space and time to use his blistering speed. Injuries limited Simona to 14 games in 2014 but he showed for Samoa in the Four Nations what he is capable of when confident and injury free. When points are scored, expect either of these two to have played a part.
The History: Played 13; Titans 7, Tigers 6
The last visit by the Wests Tigers to the Gold Coast resulted in a seven-try 42-12 romp to the visitors but when the Titans headed south in April they came away from Leichhardt Oval with a 22-6 triumph. There were just three more wins for the Titans in season 2014 after that Round 8 defeat of the Tigers with the overall record between these teams slightly favouring the Titans with seven wins from 13 clashes. In eight visits to the Gold Coast the Tigers have been victorious on three occasions.
Sleepy's Offical Play - Wests (-200)
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Cowboys v Roosters
1300SMILES Stadium
Saturday 5:00am EST
Make no mistake, this isn’t your feel-good, friendly season opener. While this is only Round 1, it signals redemption time for those up north as they look to get one back on the side that put an end to their 2014 campaign.
The cause for optimism has never been higher in North Queensland, and their premiership window is as open as it has ever been as the club enters its 20th season in the National Rugby League.
But just as classy are the boys from the big city, who are again tipped to feature prominently in 2015. They may have lost superstars Anthony Minichiello and Sonny Bill Williams, but the league’s best attacking team last year will find new ways to cross the white line with the addition of dynamic outside back Blake Ferguson and a shift of winger Roger Tuivasa-Sheck to fullback in place of Minichiello.
There is enough jockeying for position in North Queensland right now to rival Parliament, with the most intriguing aspect being the battle to fit four players (Johnathan Thurston, Michael Morgan, Robert Lui and Lachlan Coote) into three jerseys (1, 6 and 7). Paul Green has opted for the tried and tested combinations in week one, meaning Coote will have to feel his way into 2015 from the bottom of the pecking order.
Green has inserted Cowboys debutant and former Melbourne Storm flyer Justin O’Neill into a starting spot next to Matthew Wright, who plays his first game since suspension. Ben Hannant gets the nod over a recovering James Tamou at starting prop, while youngster Ethan Lowe also gets a start at second row.
The Roosters will go into battle without injured co-captain Jake Friend, who will be replaced by Roosters debutant Matt McIlwrick at hooker. Tuivasa-Sheck will move to fullback replacing Minichiello, while Ferguson has pushed Kiwi international Shaun Kenny-Dowall onto the wing as he makes his NRL return in the centres.
Watch Out Cowboys: What are we going to see from Blake Ferguson? At just 24, Ferguson has already come 360-degrees in his NRL career. Known for being fleet of foot and strong at the line, Ferguson is a gifted athlete who will be waiting for an opportunity to present itself on the right side. It will be interesting to see how the chemistry he has sparked with playmakers Mitchell Pearce, James Maloney and Tuivasa-Sheck in the off-season translates to Saturday night.
Watch Out Roosters: Talent presents itself all over the park for the Cowboys, and there is no better man to access it than the puppeteer himself – a refreshed and re-energised Johnathan Thurston. In a season that saw him share Dally M honours with Jarryd Hayne, Thurston blitzed the competition in try assists (eight more than any other player) and line break assists (four more). If we can gauge anything from pre-season trials it's that Thurston is fit and ready to fire.
Key Match-Up: The bruise brothers Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Sam Moa up against veteran bookends in Matt Scott and Ben Hannant. These big men will be crucial in paving the way for their halves to create opportunities close to the line. It will be an interesting dynamic of discipline, with Waerea-Hargreaves liking to push the boundaries, conceding penalties (2014 season high 34) at a rate of more than four times his colleague Moa (seven) last year. The two Cowboys in the middle offer more of a calming presence with just 11 penalties conceded throughout 2014.
The History: Played 31; Roosters 22, Cowboys 9. It was a semi-final for the ages last time these two faced off, with an almighty Cowboys comeback stopped just short of success by a Maloney field goal. Last season’s match-up was split one game apiece with North Queensland prevailing earlier in May.
What Are The Odds: Cowboys $1.70, Roosters $2.15. Not much separate the teams with the punters wagers, Roosters slightly ahead as the outsiders. The Cowboys are standout favourites at a -2.5 line. Latest odds at Sportsbet.com.au
Match Officials: Referee: Jared Maxwell. Assistant Referee: Chris Sutton; Touch Judges: Jeff Younis and Adam Reid; Video Referees: Steve Chiddy and Luke Phillips.
The Way We See it: The Roosters showed their explosive scoring ability when they stormed out to a 30-0 lead after half an hour in last year’s semi-final; largely exploiting the Cowboys’ weak right-edge defence. While the returning Matthew Wright will look to patch up that deficiency, the right side is still a relative unknown with O’Neill, Lowe and Lui occupying spots either side of him. In a Round 1 toss of the coin, we say Cowboys by two points.
Sleepy's Official Play - Roosters (+120)
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Official NRL Record - YTD (2-0) / All Plays are 1 unit plays
***Article taken from NRL.com
This is the opening for the NRL...If you like late night action, this is the sport for you..One of the most entertaining sports in my eyes. The matches are about 1hr 30min each...If you like action, you will love the NRL rugby league...You can find links at Feed2all.com & also on skysports network.
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Best of Luck !!